How should Christians stand out in a society increasingly fragmented and polarized, isolated and lonely, embittered and embattled?

Too often, the temptation is for the church to allow these forces to overwhelm us until we retreat to the safety of a fortress that shuts the door to doubters. But despite its façade of faithfulness, this option is worldly. It’s exactly what you’d expect in a society like ours, where ideological tribes keep people with significant disagreements from ever interacting anywhere but online, where epithets and arguments are hurled from Twitter towers and Facebook fortresses.

Instead, we must follow the path of the ancient Christians in their countercultural practice of hospitality. …Read More.

For those who oversee their church’s budget, budgeting season creates personal stress and a series of complaints. Everyone wants more. No one wants less.Very few envy the person who has to make the final budgeting decisions. Most would rather have a root canal.

But like personal budgets, church budgets are incredibly important. And they often get a bad rap. A church budget is not only vital for a church’s financial health, but for their mission. A church budget is an essential tool for every church leader. It should not be ignored or avoided.